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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Both Muslims killed in Texas attack were known to FBI, attended Phoenix mosque

"Just minutes before Soofi and Simpson launched their attack at a community center in Garland, Texas, the two men posted messages on social media accounts with the hashtag #TexasAttack. Groups such as ISIS picked up on the hashtag and posted messages of support for the two gunmen, who were then killed by a police officer outside the building."

Authorities in Texas have identified Nadir Soofi as the second gunman who opened fire on a “Draw Muhammad” art contest in a Dallas suburb on Sunday night.

Soofi, authorities say, shared an apartment in Phoenix with Elton Simpson, who was convicted of lying to federal authorities in 2011 and was considered a terrorist suspect. The two men attended the Islamic Center of North Phoenix together.

Just minutes before Soofi and Simpson launched their attack at a community center in Garland, Texas, the two men posted messages on social media accounts with the hashtag “#TexasAttack.” Groups such as ISIS picked up on the hashtag and posted messages of support for the two gunmen, who were then killed by a police officer outside the building.

Soofi's accomplice, "Simpson, was well known to the FBI since 2006 when the agency discovered Simpson was involved with a man trying to organize a terror cell in Arizona."

“The bro with me and myself have given bay’ah to Amirul Mu’mineen. May Allah accept us as mujahideen, make dua,” was posted on the since-deleted Twitter page of an account titled “Sharia is Light.” Bay’ah is Arabic for pledging loyalty, or allegiance. “Amirul Mu’mineen” is meant to be “the prince of the believers,” possibly Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS.

According to his social media accounts, Soofi owned a carpet cleaning business in Phoenix, Arizona, and attended college in Salt Lake City, Utah, where records show he was arrested several times for violations including like reckless driving and unlawful possession, and purchase of alcohol by a minor. He also posted on Facebook about giving lessons on Islam at a juvenile detention center.

It’s unclear whether Soofi was being monitored by federal authorities. His accomplice, Simpson, was well known to the FBI since 2006 when the agency discovered Simpson was involved with a man trying to organize a terror cell in Arizona.

Shortly after the attack, one of Soofi’s relatives posted an image with Arabic writing to her Facebook page that included the translation, “O Allah, I ask you to grant me paradise and I take refuge in you from the fire.”

A former terror suspect has been named as one of the gunmen shot dead by police after the two attackers blasted an unarmed security guard in the ankle during an anti-Islam art contest in Texas on Sunday night.

Elton Simpson, 30, who was previously the subject of a terror investigation, and his roommate Nadir Soofi, 34, were armed with assault rifles when they were killed by a quick-thinking traffic officer after opening fire outside the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Dallas, at around 7pm.

The shooting unfolded as the American Freedom Defense Initiative held an event inside the building where caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad were being displayed. Followers of Islam deem that any physical depiction of the prophet – even a positive one – is blasphemous.

On Monday morning, FBI agents and investigators could be seen cordoning off and searching the apartment, as well as a white van believed to belong to Simpson. Investigators are also reviewing computer records from materials found at the home.

Simpson, identified in court papers as an American Muslim, had been convicted of lying to federal agents about his plans to travel to Somalia five years ago, but a judge ultimately ruled it could not be proved that he was heading there to join a terror group. He was placed on probation.

Soofi, named as the second gunman by the Washington Post, shared an apartment with Simpson at the Autumn Ridge complex in Phoenix.

On Monday morning, FBI agents and investigators could be seen cordoning off and searching the apartment, as well as a white van believed to belong to Simpson. Investigators are also reviewing computer records from materials found at the home.

Investigators also searched the car that the two gunmen drove to the scene and found luggage and further ammunition inside. Some of the belongings were destroyed as a precaution but no explosives were found inside the vehicle, Garland Police Officer Joe Harn said on Monday.

As the gunmen got out of their car with their weapons, one police officer – a tenured traffic cop – shot both men dead, Garland Police officer Joe Harn said at a press conference on Monday. The officer used his service pistol to shoot the men, who were carrying assault weapons.

On Monday, Simpson’s father said that he believes his son, who had worked in a dentist’s office, ‘made a bad choice’.

‘We are Americans and we believe in America,’ Dunston Simpson told ABC News. ‘What my son did reflects very badly on my family.’

Ahead of the attack on Sunday evening, several Twitter messages were sent out, and authorities believe Simpson was behind them. The last one was shared just half an hour before the shooting.

As the gunmen got out of their car with their weapons, one police officer – a tenured traffic cop – shot both men dead, Garland Police officer Joe Harn said at a press conference on Monday. The officer used his service pistol to shoot the men, who were carrying assault weapons.

‘With what he was faced with and his reaction and his shooting with a pistol, he did a good job,’ Harn said of the officer.

‘He did what he was trained to do, and under the fire that he was put under, he did a very good job and probably saved lives. We think their strategy was to get into the events center and they were not able to get past that outer perimeter.’

In a series of tweets and links, a jihadist named as Abu Hussain AlBritani, which SITE said was British IS fighter Junaid Hussain, claimed that ‘2 of our brothers just opened fire’ at the Prophet Muhammad exhibition in Texas.

‘They Thought They Was Safe In Texas From The Soldiers of The Islamic State,’ added the tweet.

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